Pouring a bright orange-copper color with a robust head of persistent foam, TropiCannon is a variant of the Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA which has been bolstered by the addition of real fruit including dried grapefruit, orange and lemon peel during brewing, and blood orange, mango, and grapefruit after fermentation. The aroma on this IPA is lush and beckoning, with notes of citrus peel, melon, tropical impressions of mango and passion fruit, and stone fruits reminiscent of apricot. The brewers augment these fruity notes with a trio of bright, citrusy American hops. The prominence of the citrus aroma profile translates to the palate too, and in a big way. Look for huge grapefruit, orange, and tangerine notes to hit upfront and last through the finish, which lingers with a note of grapefruit zest. At 45 IBUs, the hop bitterness is modest for an IPA, but that makes room for some acidic notes from the citrus additions. The brewers' choice to use natural flavors including real fruit allows this brew to retain a fresh and natural flavor, unlike many beers that use artificial flavorings. For food pairings, choose dishes which match well to the big citrus notes in this IPA. We'd go with a bright and fresh ceviche, Asian chicken salad with mandarin wedges and ginger dressing, or, for a dessert option, a scoop (or two, or three...) of orange sherbet. Cheers!

Clipper City Brewing Company (Baltimore, MD)

The history of the Clipper City Brewing Company goes back to the mid-1980s when Hugh Sisson, proprietor of Sisson's, a local restaurant and bar, first recognized the potential for a small brewery in Baltimore. Upon attempting to get a license to brew beer at his restaurant, he quickly discovered that legislation prevented brewpubs in Maryland. So, he began working with Senator George Della, Jr. to successfully lobby the Maryland General Assembly to pass new legislation. In 1989, Hugh began brewing at Sisson's, Maryland's first brewpub.

The move helped usher in the wave of craft brewing in Baltimore, and Hugh engrossed himself in the development and market recognition of both Sisson's brewpub and its beers, while simultaneously serving as this pioneering facility's first Brewmaster. After five years of brewpub brewing, Hugh went through another round of legal wrangling in order to expand into a full-scale microbrewery. In early 1996, Clipper City Brewing, borrowing a Baltimore sobriquet as its name, officially began brewing on the scale Hugh was going for. In 2010 the brewery placed all of its beers under the Heavy Seas name, a brand they began in 2003. In addition to their bottled beers, Clipper City is also one of the largest, if not the largest, producer of British-style cask-conditioned beer in the U.S. For more information about the brewery, scheduled tours, or their Baltimore and Arlington Alehouse gastropubs, call 410-247-7822 or check out their web site at www.hsbeer.com.

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